Chap. 51.] DIFFERENCES OF TREES IN RESPECT TO AGE. #89 



months of January, May, and September, being all three of 

 different size. 



There are also certain peculiarities observed in the different 

 modes in which the trees bear their fruit, the arbutus and the 

 quercus being most fruitful in the upper part, the walnut and 

 the marisca 36 fig in the lower. All trees, the older they grow, 

 the more early they bear, and this more particularly in sunny 

 spots and where the soil is not over- rich. All the forest-trees 

 are slower in bringing their fruit to maturity ; and indeed, in 

 some of them the fruit never becomes fully ripe. 37 Those trees, 

 too, about the roots of which the earth is ploughed or broken 

 and loosened, bring their fruit to maturity more speedily than 

 those in which this has been neglected; by this process they 

 are also rendered more fruitful. 



CHAP. 51. WHICH TREES BECOME OLD WITH THE GREATEST 



RAPIDITY, AND WHICH MOST SLOWLY. 



There are great differences also in trees in respect to age. 

 The almond and the pear 38 are the most fruitful when old, which 

 is the case also with the glandiferous trees and a certain spe- 

 cies of fig. Others, again, are most prolific when young, 

 though the fruit is later in coming to maturity, a thing parti- 

 cularly to be observed in the vine ; for in those that are old 

 the wine is of better quality, while the produce of the younger 

 trees is given in greater abundance. The apple-tree becomes 

 old very early, and the fruit which it produces when old is of 

 inferior quality, being of smaller size and very liable to be 

 attacked by maggots : indeed, these insects will breed in the 

 tree itself. The fig is the only one of all the fruit-trees that is 

 submitted to any process with the view of expediting the 

 ripening of the fruit, 39 a marvellous thing, indeed, that a greater 

 value should be set upon produce that comes out of its proper 

 season ! All trees which bear their fruit before the proper 

 time become prematurely 40 old ; indeed, some of them wither 



36 B. xv. c. 19. 



37 This is not the fact : the fruits of all trees have their proper time for 

 ripening. 



3S He speaks here in too general terms : the pear, for instance, is not 

 more fruitful when old than when young. 



39 He speaks of the process of caprification. See B. xv. c. 21. 



40 So our proverb, " Soon ripe, soon rotten ;" applicable to mankind as 

 well as trees. See B. xxiii. c. 23. 



